^38 Dr Hamilton’s Account of a Mcip of 
perhaps, in the world, namely, that at Budda Gya in Magadha, 
seems to have been somewhat on the plan of Ananda. 
Among the ruins of Paukgan, as I have said, are many build- 
ings constructed of brick and stone, that are said to have been 
the abode of a priesthood ; but compared with the elegant and 
airy wooden convents now in use, they have been wretched 
abodes. 
The immediate vicinity of Paukgan is uncommonly sterile, 
and consists of swelling lands, here and there rising into little 
hills in broken ridges. The soil, except in a few narrow bot- 
toms, is every where of a harsh sand, consisting of quartz and 
mica, with some small rounded pebbles intermixed. The rock, 
in many places, comes to the surface, and consists of the same 
materials which form the basis of the soil ; but I must leave it 
to geologists to determine, whether the soil proceeds from the 
rock decomposed, or whether the rock arises from the soil con- 
creted. In some parts I observed vertical dikes of a more com- 
pact nature, running parallel to each other through the common 
mass of gravel and rock, and often crossed at nearly right angles 
by other dikes of a similar nature. These dikes generally rise 
higher than the sandstone which fills the interstices between 
them, and thus become more conspicuous. This kind of coun- 
try extends along the east bank of the Erawadi, so far as we 
went inland, from Gnaunu to Lunghii, amounting to nearly 1° 4(f 
difference of latitude. The surface of all this space has scatter^ 
ed over it pieces of agate so strongly resembling wood, not only 
in general form, but in grain and layers, that I have little or no 
doubt of its being a petrifaction. Similar agates, found both in 
the Birbhum district of Bengal, and in the south of Hindusthan, 
are, by the natives of these countries, considered as petrified 
tamarind trees, to the wood of which they have a strong resem- 
blance. In one place I observed fragments of these agates in- 
termixed with the sand and pebbles, of which the rock consist- 
ed ; and this rock also contained portions of a reddish ochre of 
iron. In another place a rock, composed as usual of sand and 
gravel, contained shells ; but whether of marine or fresh-water 
testaceous animals, I have omitted to notice. In general, how- 
ever, the agate is confined entirely to the surface, where it licvS 
quite loose ; nor in abrupt banks did I ever observe it immersed 
